Suction cleaner



A 8- 1942. v. E. CARLsoN I 2,291,689

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 26. less INVENTOR Vrnon Larlson ATTORNEYPatented Aug. 4, 1942 suc'rrou CLEANER Vernon E. Carlson, Canton, Ohio,assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application January 26, 1939, Serial No. 252,885

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and moreparticularly to a new and novel motor ventilating system in a suctioncleaner. More specifically the invention comprises a new and novelarrangement of parts in a, suction cleaner by which'the heat generatedby cleaner motor operation is removed in a new and novel manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedsuction cleaner. lit is another object of the invention to provide a newand improved motor cooling system in a suction cleaner. A further objectoi the inven== tion is to provide a new and improved system ofventilating passageways for motor cooling in a suction cleaner. A. stillfurther object of the invention is to remove the heat generated by theelectric motor in cleaner operation by air which is conducted through asystem of passageways arranged in a new and novel manner. still furtherobject of the invention is to provide motor and light cooling system ina suction. cleaner which is new and novel in its arrange ment andsuperior in its operating ciliaracter istics. 'these and other morespecific objects will appear upon reading the following specifica tionand claims and upon considering in connec= tion therewith the attacheddrawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is dis closed:

Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of a modern suction cleanerembodying the present invention with certain parts of the cleaner casingbroken away.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the cleaner in Figure 1 withcertain parts of the cleaner broken away to show more clearly the motorventilating system.

Suction cleaners today embody electric motors which drive the suctioncreating means of the cleaner and the surface agitating means. Moderncleaners also embody headlights which function to illuminate the surfacecovering undergoing cleaning in front of the cleaner that the operatormay more easily observe that covering. Such cleaner motors are generallyof high speed characteristics but regardless of the exact type all havein common the characteristic of generating heat when in operation and toobtain emcient operation and long life this heat must be removed. As thelight of the headlight is usually positioned near the cleaner motor andas it also generates heat, it is desirable that the headlight .heat alsobe removed to prevent its radiation ing therefrom the inherent heat ofoperation. It has been the practice to draw the cooling air through themotor by an auxiliary fan which is motor driven and to exhaust that airfrom the motor through the headlight aperture and over the cleanernozzle. Because 01 the relatively large amount of heat which must beremoved the volume of air and the speed of its travel is relativelygreat and it has been found that in some instances the stream of airexhaust= ing through the headlight aperture facing lor wardly of thecleaner has interfered with the cleaning effectiveness of the suctionnozzle. .zllso, the air stream exhausted into the surrounding air hasbeen found to carry the noise of the cleaner motor operation.

In the motor cooling system constructed in ac cordance with the presentinvention motor cooling air is drawn over the cleaner motor, is ex=hausted past the cleaner headlight, and passes downwardly through thecleaner casing to be exhausted into the atmosphere on the underside ofthe cleaner point at which it cannot interfere with the cleaningoperation and atwhich any sound which it conducts will be murlled by thecleaner body and the adjacent covering to a desirable extent.

Referring nowto the drawing in which a pre= ferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated there is found a modern suction cleaner themain casing of which comprises a nozzle l of double wall construction,the inner wall being in cheated by the reference character 2. A fanchamber 3 is interlorly connected to the nozzle 8 by an air passageway lwhich is preferably formed integrally with the inner wall 2 of thenozzle l excepting its underside which is formed by a removable bottomplate 5. The rear nozzle lip t is formed upon plate 5 while the frontnozzle lip l! is formed integrally with the nozzle. The main casing iscompleted by overhanging side walls or skirts t which extend around thesides of the fan chamber to the rear of the cleaner where they extendalong the exhaust outlet ii to which is re movably attached, by manuallyoperable means it, a filter bag it.

A suction-creating fan 33 is positioned within the fan chamberandfunctions in the operation of the cleaner to draw air through the nozzlel and to exhaust it through the exhaust outlet 9 into the filter bag itwhere the foreign material is removed. Cooperating with the cleaning airactuated by the suction-creating fan 53 is a rotary agitator M of acommon and well known design which is positioned within the nozzle l andwhich is adapted to contact a surface undergoing cleaning between thelips E and l. Agitator M is rotated by a power-transmitting belt l5which is driven by the same source of power that drives the suctioncreating fan E3.

The external construction of the cleaner is completed by the motor hoodII which is positioned on the main casing of the cleaner above thenozzle I, fan chamber 3 and exhaust outlet 9 and overlies in part theside skirts 6. Motor hood l'l encloses the driving motor which willhereinafter be described in detail which drives the suction-creating fanl3 and the agitator l4.

The entire cleaner is movably supported by front wheels l6 which arepositioned at the sides of the air passageway 4 and under the skirts 6,and by rear wheels l9 and provide means by which the operator canreadily propel the machine by a force exerted through a pivoted handlewhich is partially shown at 20.

The motor which drives the suction-creating fan l3 and the belt i6connected to the agitator I4 is positioned within the motor hood l'limmediately above the fan chamber 3 and comprises an armature 23 whichis rotatably supported at its upper and lower ends by suitable bearingmeans, the upper bearing being indicated at 24. The motor stator 26 issupported by a motor bottom plate 26 formed with upright side wallswhich surround the stator 25 and seat it. As the plate is of insulationmaterial, such as Bakelite, the stator can be mount-- ed directlythereon without intermediate insulation. An upper casing section 21,also of insulating material such as Bakelite, is largely of a smallerdiameter than the vertical wall of the bottom plate 26 and is formedwith a peripheral flange 23 which seats directly upon the top of thatplate being suitably secured thereto by screws 29. Near its top, uppercasing section 21 is formed with an internal horizontal wall 30 whichencloses the motor rotor to provide above itself a ventilating fanchamber, the upper side of which is formed by the removable metal plate3| which carries the motor bearing 24 and which is secured to thesection 21 by screws 32. The

motor ventilating fan 33 carried by the rotor 23 is positioned withinthis chamber.

Formed upon the Bakelite motor bottom plate 23, and more specificallyupon the forward side thereof exteriorly of the vertical wall whichseats and encloses the stator 26, is a platform 34 which seats aremovable headlight bulb 36;- The curved forward wall of platform 34 isspaced from the bulb-carrying portion of the platform and is connectedthereto by a series of integral radially extending vertical webs 36.These vertical connectors 36 define openings in the plat-v form 34 whichlead directly to a port 36 formed below the platform in the top wall ofthe main casing of the cleaner and specifically in the outer wall of thenozzle thereof. Port 33 connects directly to the space between the outerwall of the nozzle and its inner wall 2 and also directly to theunderside of the cleaner casing as defined by the space between thesurrounding skirts 6 and the air passageway 4. In fact it most directlyconnects to the space defined by the skirts 6 which could be called thewheel pockets as the front wheels I! are positioned therein.

The motor hood I1 is cut out above the forward curved wall of theplatform 34, as indicated at 40. to provide a headlight opening forwardof the bulb 36. There is positioned in this opening and between the hoodand the curved front wall of the platform a transparent window 4| ofmaterial such as Celluloid through which light rays from the bulb 35 maybe directed forwardly of the nozzle and onto the surface coveringundergoing cleaning. Window 4| is suitably retained by grooves in theedges of the opening.

An air passageway is formed from the fan chamber at the top of the motorcasing by cooperating vertical walls 42 and 43 on the motor hood l1 andthe casing section 21, respectively. These vertical side walls cooperateto provide a passageway which leads directly from the exhaust outlet ofthe ventilating fan chamber to the top of the platform 34 and in whichis positioned the headlight bulb 36.

Inlet ports are formed for the motor cooling air in the lower edge ofthe motor hood, as

indicated at 46, and in the upper edge of the bottom plate 26 asindicated at 46. The air, of course, first enters thru the ports 46 andthen passes thru the openings 46 to gain direct contact with the motorwindings. It is to be noted that the exhaust passageway formed by thewalls 42 and 43 is sealed from the air passing around the motor casingand between the ports 46 and 46.

The operation of the cleaner designed in accordance with the presentinvention is as follows:

With the cleaner in operation and the motor rotating thesuction-creating fan l3 creates a flow of air through the nozzle, fanchamber and exhaust outlet into the dust bag II. The suction within thenozzle i lifts the surface covering undergoing cleaning into contactwith the agitating elements of the rotating agitator l4 which dislodgefrom that covering the embedded foreign material which is then carriedaway by the air stream to the dust bag. This is as in the usual cleaner.The rotation of the motor generates'heat and this heat is carried awayby cooling air which is drawn into the motor hood through the ports 46and into the motor casing through the side ports 46 formed in the lowermotor bottom plate 26. This air. drawn by the motor driven ventilatingfan 33, passes upwardly over the rotor and stator into the ventilatingfan chamber to be exhausted therefrom into the passageway formed by thecooperating vertical walls 42 and 43 of the motor hood and the easingsection 21. The air in this exhaust passageway passes downwardly alongthe side of the motor casing, past the headlight bulb 36. through theopenings defined by the vertical webs 36 of the platform 34 anddownwardly through the exhaust port 33 into the space between the outernozzle wall and the top wall of air passageway 4. The air there divides,part going to each side of the passageway adjacent the wheels it. Theair is downwardly deflected at the rear of the nozzle by the skirts 3and any sound carried thereby is muiiied by reflection against thesurface covering undergoing cleaning and by the shielding action of thecasing itself.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a hood aboutsaid motor, a lamp between said hood and motor, light transmitting meansin said hood for transmitting the light from said lamp forwardly of saidcasing but preventing entrance of air therethrough into said hood, meansin said hood defining a ventilating air passageway for said motor, saidlight transmitting means forming part of said air passageway, said lampbeing in s-: id air passageway, and means for circulating air throughsaid passageway to cool said motor and lamp.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a hood aboutsaid motor, means for supporting a lamp between said hood and motor,means defining a port through said lamp supporting means, lighttransmitting means in said hood for transmitting the light from saidlamp-forwardly of said cleaner casing but preventing entrance of airtherethrough into said hood, means in said hood defining a ventilatingair passageway communicating with said port in said lamp supportingmeans, said light transmitting means forming part of said airpassageway, said lamp being in said passageway, and means forcirculating air through said passageway and port to cool said lamp andmotor.

3. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a hood aboutsaid motor, a lamp between said hood and motor, light transmitting meansin said hood for transmitting the light from said lamp forwardly of saidcasing but preventing the entrance of air therethrough into said hood,means in said hood defining a ventilating air passageway for said motor,said light transmitting means forming part of said air passageway, saidlamp being in said air passageway, means defining a discharge airpassageway in said casing and having one end communicating with saidventilating air passageway in said motor hood and its other endterminating in an opening at the underside of said casing adjacent thesurface being cleaned, and means for circulating air through saidpassageways to cool said motor and lamp, said air being discharged belowsaid easing into contact with the surface being cleaned.

4. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a hood aboutsaid motor, means for supporting a lamp between said hood and motor,means defining a port through said lamp supporting means, lighttransmitting means in said hood for transmitting the light from saidlamp forwardly of said cleaner casing but preventing 'entrance of airtherethrough into said hood, means in said hood defining a ventilatingair passageway communicating with said port in said lamp supportingmeans, said light transmitting means defining part of said airpassageway, said lamp being in said air passageway, means in said casingdefining an air discharge passageway extendin from said port in the lampsupporting means to an opening at the underside of said casing adjacentthe surface being cleaned, and means for circulating air through saidair passageway, port and discharge passageway to discharge the airbeneath said casing at a point adjacent the surface being cleaned, saidcirculating air cooling said motor and lamp.

5. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a housingsubstantially enclosing said motor and having openings for circulationof ventilating air therethrough, a hood enclosing said housing andspaced from the latter, a lamp between said housing and hood, lighttransmitting means in said hood for transmitting the light from saidlamp forwardly of said casing but preventing entrance of airtherethrough into said hood, cooperating means on said hood and housingdefining an air passageway between one of said housing openings and tosaid lamp, said light transmitting means forming part of said airpassageway, said lamp being in said air passageway, and means forcirculating air through said housing and air passageway to cool saidmotor and lamp.

6. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a motor on said casing, a housingsubstantially enclosing said motor and having openings for circulationof ventilating air therethrough, a hood enclosing said housing andspaced from the latter, means for supporting a lamp between said hoodand housing, means defining a port through said lamp supporting means,light transmitting means in said hood for transmitting the light fromsaid lamp forwardly of said casing but preventing entrance of airtherethrough into said hood, 00- operating means on said hood andhousing defining an air passageway between one of said housing openingsand to said port, said light transmitting means forming part of said airpassageway, said lamp being in said air passageway, and means forcirculating air through said housing, air passageway and port to coolsaid motor and lamp.

'7. A suction cleaner comprising a casing. a motor mounted on saidcasing, means for supporting a lamp forwardly of said motor, meansdefining a port through said lamp supporting means, means defining anair passageway in said casing in register with said port in said lampsupporting means, and means for circulating air over said motor, portandpassageway to cool said lamp and motor.

8. Asuction cleaner comprising a casing having a nozzle at its forwardend, a motor on said casing for rotating a suction creating fan, meansfor supporting a lamp, means defining a port through said lampsupporting means, said casing having a depending skirt portion spacedfrom said nozzle to define an open space therebetween exposed to thesurface being cleaned, means defining an air passageway in saidcasingand having one end communicating with said port in said lamp supportingmeans and its other end communicating with said open space, and meansfor circulating air through said motor, port and passageway to dischargethe air in said open space adjacent the surface being cleaned to coolsaid lamp and motor.

9. A suction cleaner comprising a cleaner body, a lamp supported by saidcleaner body, a hood for said lamp, light transmitting means in saidhood for transmitting the light from said lamp forwardly of said cleanerbody but preventing entrance of air therethrough into said hood, meansforming a ventilating air passageway within said hood, said lighttransmitting means forming part of said ventilating air passageway, saidlamp being in said passageway, and means for circulating air throughsaid passageway to cool said lamp.

10. In a suction cleaner, a casing having wheel pockets, a suctionnozzle, means in said casing defining an air passageway having a portopen to said wheel pockets and out of direct communication with saidsuction nozzle, 9. motor on said casing, and means to force cooling airover said motor through said passageway and port to discharge the motorcooling air into said wheel p ckets and out of direct communication withsaid suction nozzle.

VERNON E. CARLSON.

Disclaimer 2,291,689.Vem0n E. Carlson, Canton, Ohio. SUCTION CLEANER.Patent dated Aug. 4, 1942. Disclaimer filed May 22, 1948, by theassignee, The Hoover Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 10of said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette June 22, 1.948.]

Disclaimer 2,291,689.-Vem0n Carlson, Canton, Ohio. SUCTION CLEANER.Patent dated Aug. 4, 1942. Disclaimer filed May 22, 1948, by theassignee, The Hoover Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 10of said patent.

[Official Gazette June 22, 1948.]

